Hebrew term for
"Interpretation" or "Exposition." The
word generally used for any written or oral commentary on a
biblical text. The original purpose of midrash was
to resolve problems in the Hebrew text of the Bible. As early
as the 1st c. CE rabbinic
principles of hermeneutics
& philology were used to bring the
interpretation of difficult passages in the literal text of
scripture into line with the religious & ethical values
of the teachers. This method of interpretation was eventually
expanded to provide scriptural pretexts to justify oral
tradition. Thus, midrash exposes the values &
worldview of the rabbinic interpreter & audience rather
than the original intention of the author of the biblical
text.

There are two
types of midrashim:

halakhic midrash
[focusing on the legal implications of a biblical
passage] &

haggadic midrash
[non-legal expositions designed for general edification].

Haggadic midrashim
may, like later commentaries, follow the narrative of a
biblical text or they may be composed as homilies, following
the lectionary cycle of the synagogue.

The literary
production of rabbinic midrashim began during the
period of the formation of the Mishna
(2nd c. CE). The school of
Rabbi Aqiba
ben Joseph focused on
the production of halakhic midrashim, while the
school of his rival Ishmael ben Elisha
tended towards a more haggadic form of
exposition. Most of the midrashim underwent more than one
revision. The homiletic midrashim were composed later, but
drew heavily on earlier sources some of which are no longer extant.

Pericopes in this
sourcebook were excerpted from the following 8 midrashim.